What I want from WWE Part 1: Television

[PeterSellersSTL]

I have not posted on this forum in a really longtime, I can't remember why I stopped but I'm back now.

Let's start with too much television. In a normal week (M-T-W) we're given 7 hours of TV to consume in 72 hours.

On weeks where there's a Brand PPV (S-M-T-W) we're given 11.5 hours including a 1 hour pre-show and a half hour post-show.

During Big-4 weekends (S-S-M-T-W) we're given 16 hours of Wrestling to consume in 120 short hours. With staggered PPVs, this task happens every 3 weeks now. It's utterly dizzying. 17 Sundays before this year is over.

Let's reduce the viewing load on the audience. Firstly, a no brainer, make RAW 2 Hours again. Second, let's stretch the week out by putting SDLive on Thursdays, NXT on Saturdays and kill 205Live (but not the division).

Next, Sundays should be for co-brand PPVs only, with MITB making for the Big-5.

RAW and SD would each have 5 PPVs that air in their place on weekdays. A 1-hour pre-show would air on USA for 'weekly episodic' purposes. RAW and SD would air PPVs the same week.

Instead of : (RAW | SD) PPV, RAW, SD, NXT
We have : RAWPPV, SDPPV, NXT

20 combined events (PPVs + Shows) are reduced to just 10 events (PPVs). This saves roughly $9M which would be used to offset the cost of having SDLive on Thursdays.


Airing PPVs in the same week would eliminate short turnarounds, allowing for lengthier builds.

A normal week of M-T-W 7 hours in 72 hours, becomes M-R-S 5 hours in 144 hours.

Brand weeks would look similar. I personally feel 2 hours is enough for brand PPVs with a 1 hour pre-show and a half hour post-show. There's been numerous shows where, 2 or 3 matches didn't need to be on the card. The Social Media Lounge isn't how you maximize your pre-show either.

A brand week goes from S-M-T-W and 11.5 hours in 96hrs, to M-R-S 8 hours in 144hrs. Way more room to breathe.

Big-5 weeks would only see a 2-hour reduction but Sundays would feel a lot more special, happening every 10 or 11 weeks, and only 5 times a year.

This also reduces WWE PPVs down to 10 weeks out of the year from 17. Same number of PPVs but a more palatable schedule with a healthy average of 5-6 weeks between ppvs, and 10-11 weeks between Big-5.

tl;dr my 2017 dates :

Jan 28th April 1st June 17th August 20th November 18th NXT 5 Saturdays

Jan 29th April 2nd June 18th August 27th November 19th Big 5 Sundays

Feb 27th May 8th July 24th October 2nd December 18th RAW 5 Mondays

March 2nd May 11th July 27th October 5th December 21st SD 5 Thursdays

September is the only month on the calendar without a date, that's where I'd have tournaments take place.

If you enjoyed this, stay tuned for Part 2, where I discuss my brand split.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

I have not posted on this forum in a really longtime, I can't remember why I stopped but I'm back now.

I think you went in to hiding after the Rams announced their departure from St. Louis and you remembered that you had posted this gem:

restraining myself from ripping the OP a new one, it won't be the Rams. Kroenke our owner was part of the group that originally moved the Rams to St. Louis in the first place. He'd have to pay for his own stadium in LA and a high relocation tag. That's 2 or 3 billion before he plays a down. Why do you think the Chagers haven't moved to LA already? Right now Kroenke only pays 250k a year to rent the dome, what he makes is pure profit he gets 100% of the ticket revenue. He'll get a new stadium here with a combination of tax money his own money and the G4 loan which he has to match and essentially acts as a grant. 250 250 + 300 fetches you a nice stadium in St. Louis, and land is a plenty. In short the Rams aren't leaving, I've been following this for a long long time. Anschultz owns LA, if a team does make it to LA it'll be his. Either the Chargers or Raiders owners are more likely to sell. Kroenke doesn't buy teams to sell them. He also isn't going to share any stadium with another team. What the NFL needs is realignment, not relocations.

Was that it?

Let's start with too much television. In a normal week (M-T-W) we're given 7 hours of TV to consume in 72 hours.

I agree although I don't watch NXT or 205 Live but I would probably prefer Raw being shortened to two hours.

On weeks where there's a Brand PPV (S-M-T-W) we're given 11.5 hours including a 1 hour pre-show and a half hour post-show.

People watch those pre-shows?

During Big-4 weekends (S-S-M-T-W) we're given 16 hours of Wrestling to consume in 120 short hours. With staggered PPVs, this task happens every 3 weeks now. It's utterly dizzying. 17 Sundays before this year is over.

Let's reduce the viewing load on the audience. Firstly, a no brainer, make RAW 2 Hours again. Second, let's stretch the week out by putting SDLive on Thursdays, NXT on Saturdays and kill 205Live (but not the division).

I'm not sure how expensive it would be to do all that moving around unless you want to take away the live aspect of those programs.

However, for that matter, you don't have to watch these shows at all let alone live. With Betamax you can record these programs on large cassette tapes and watch them when you want. It's not like Smackdown Live is the Super Bowl (an event the Low Angeles Rams are eligible to plan in this year), where it is impossible to avoid finding out what happened. You can record Smackdown or any WWE program and watch it when you like.

Next, Sundays should be for co-brand PPVs only, with MITB making for the Big-5.

RAW and SD would each have 5 PPVs that air in their place on weekdays. A 1-hour pre-show would air on USA for 'weekly episodic' purposes. RAW and SD would air PPVs the same week.

Instead of : (RAW | SD) PPV, RAW, SD, NXT
We have : RAWPPV, SDPPV, NXT

20 combined events (PPVs + Shows) are reduced to just 10 events (PPVs). This saves roughly $9M which would be used to offset the cost of having SDLive on Thursdays.

But you're losing revenue from the ordinary Raws and Smackdowns and extra PPVs. How is the USA Network going to feel about this? Losing 10 full shows that are replaced with hour long pre-shows. If I understand this correctly, WWE (and the wrestlers) is also losing gate revenue and merchandise sales now that you have fewer events.

Airing PPVs in the same week would eliminate short turnarounds, allowing for lengthier builds.

People assume lengthier builds lead to better programming, I'm not sure if this is true. My attention span is pretty short and I expect my violent wrestlers to be violent and fight, not wait around for added subtlety and nuance.

A normal week of M-T-W 7 hours in 72 hours, becomes M-R-S 5 hours in 144 hours.

Brand weeks would look similar. I personally feel 2 hours is enough for brand PPVs with a 1 hour pre-show and a half hour post-show. There's been numerous shows where, 2 or 3 matches didn't need to be on the card. The Social Media Lounge isn't how you maximize your pre-show either.

A brand week goes from S-M-T-W and 11.5 hours in 96hrs, to M-R-S 8 hours in 144hrs. Way more room to breathe.

Big-5 weeks would only see a 2-hour reduction but Sundays would feel a lot more special, happening every 10 or 11 weeks, and only 5 times a year.

This also reduces WWE PPVs down to 10 weeks out of the year from 17. Same number of PPVs but a more palatable schedule with a healthy average of 5-6 weeks between ppvs, and 10-11 weeks between Big-5.

tl;dr my 2017 dates :

Jan 28th April 1st June 17th August 20th November 18th NXT 5 Saturdays

Jan 29th April 2nd June 18th August 27th November 19th Big 5 Sundays

Feb 27th May 8th July 24th October 2nd December 18th RAW 5 Mondays

March 2nd May 11th July 27th October 5th December 21st SD 5 Thursdays

September is the only month on the calendar without a date, that's where I'd have tournaments take place.

If you enjoyed this, stay tuned for Part 2, where I discuss my brand split.

There was a thread on lesser PPVs a couple of weeks ago. Neither lesser or shorter make sense. I would hate to sacrifice the amount of time New Day fought with The Usos in a cell or sacrifice the match at all. If the PPV is too much for you, don't watch. Wait to hear what was great and then go find out for yourself. By shortening or removing PPVs you are taking away the best wrestling. Shortening Raw on the other hand will most likely mean less time for storyline five, six and seven. I can live with that.

Go LA Rams! Maybe the Chargers could use a new home.

 

[Radical]

Point form response:

- Yes, reduce Raw to 2 hours to make it more quality and less quantity

- Number of PPVs is fine (I don't recommend making MORE, mind you, per year) but the number of them as is should be fine because it is more value to consumers. But I would try to have better themes and names for PPVs because stuff like Great Balls of Fire (laughable) and TLC (needing to name a PPV TLC just to justify a TLC match is poor creativity in my opinion and a bringing back a more powerful name like "Armageddon" and then REALISTICALLY justifying a TLC or some sort of hardcore match at that PPV would be much better overall)

- The additional programming like NXT, 205 Live, etc. that isn't really on TV and is through the Network is fine because, again, it is more value for consumers and it doesn't mean you have to watch all of it because it isn't really part of the 'main show' it really is just extras that you can enjoy if you want to.

 

[Hawkseye95]

I would personally love a (S-M-W-T) schedule, but I do agree with your point of having a big 5 ppv then maybe get a few ppvs on a Friday/Saturday night to compete with UFC

 

[PeterSellersSTL]

Point form response:

- Yes, reduce Raw to 2 hours to make it more quality and less quantity

- Number of PPVs is fine (I don't recommend making MORE, mind you, per year) but the number of them as is should be fine because it is more value to consumers. But I would try to have better themes and names for PPVs because stuff like Great Balls of Fire (laughable) and TLC (needing to name a PPV TLC just to justify a TLC match is poor creativity in my opinion and a bringing back a more powerful name like "Armageddon" and then REALISTICALLY justifying a TLC or some sort of hardcore match at that PPV would be much better overall)

- The additional programming like NXT, 205 Live, etc. that isn't really on TV and is through the Network is fine because, again, it is more value for consumers and it doesn't mean you have to watch all of it because it isn't really part of the 'main show' it really is just extras that you can enjoy if you want to.

I'm afraid you missed my point, as someone who does want to enjoy the 'extras' the scheduling makes it difficult to.

I also never said anything about cutting the number of PPVs, the whole point is having the number remain the same but trimming the fat during PPV weeks.

 

[PeterSellersSTL]

I would personally love a (S-M-W-T) schedule, but I do agree with your point of having a big 5 ppv then maybe get a few ppvs on a Friday/Saturday night to compete with UFC

Why would WWE want to go head to head with UFC on friday/saturday night?

 

[PeterSellersSTL]

PPV rematches the very next night. This is why I want brand PPV's to take place on weekdays.

 

[PeterSellersSTL]

law of diminishing returns - asking people to watch 3-4 hours on Sunday and come out for another 3 hours on monday. The mistake in thinking that if you keep adding hours of television your revenue will continue to rise at the same rate.

Especially when RAW has just been TLC part 2.